We Loved Holiday Shopping At ALDI So Much We Did It Again!

Last year, we went to our local ALDI in search of the perfect supplies for our Holiday party. We found cheeses, a huge wine selection, chocolates, and more. I was so impressed by the selection that we actually went back to get even more items to serve our friends! The party was a huge success, and none of our guests knew we got so many fantastic gourmet goodies without breaking the bank. They raved about the wines, cheeses, and even the eclairs and chocolate truffles. We catered our entire party for under $150 total, between both shopping trips. (You can check out our past ALDI experience HERE.)

So when we moved to Ohio this past summer, I made sure to find an ALDI location near our new home. To my delight, there is one about a mile away! With Christmas coming, I was definitely going to take advantage of their great deals to cater our Christmas festivities again.

This year, our gathering will be smaller and more intimate. On Christmas Eve, my Dad and Step-Mom will be coming over in the evening, and hopefully I will get to see my brother and meet his Fiance who has been teaching kids English in France. Then on Christmas Day, we will be heading over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house. Okay. So that was cheesy, but I couldn't resist! We will be heading to my Grandma's, who just happens to be the most awesome woman in the world, for lasagna, Polish Sausages, and of course her famous Buckeye Balls.

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So in preparation for our Christmas festivities, we headed to our local ALDI to see what we could find suitable for a quiet evening with family. Of course their wine selection was amazing, but here in Ohio, it's against state law to use a gift certificate on alcohol. So we will be headed back, cash in hand, to pick up a few bottles later. We were able to get a wide variety of wonderful appetizers and foods to pair with our wines.

Of course we had to get some chocolates. We found this beautiful box of Mrs. Field's Assorted Chocolates, and it was only $3.99! Dan has begged me to let him open them, but these are meant to be shared with our guests, so I have told him no. I am actually considering putting a padlock on them somehow to keep him out of them!

Now anyone who knows me is well aware that I would give any mouse a run for their money when it comes to cheese consumption. I love, love, LOVE cheese! At ALDI, they have a wide variety of cheeses, many of which you won't find at your typical grocery store. There are loads of great cheeses from England, Danish cheeses like Havarti, Brie, and even a tantalizing looking Spanish Cheese sampler. I have never had Spanish cheeses, so this should be a real treat. Hmm...Maybe I need to padlock the cheeses, too! I don't know if I will be able to resist!

And of course I just had to pick up a customary cheese ball. These are amazing spread on multigrain crackers and go well with many varieties of wine. Sure, not as elegant as the Spanish Cheese, but it sure is tasty!

While all of these cheeses have me drooling, I think I am most looking forward to the Brie and Havarti. These are 2 of my favorite cheeses. Havarti is a mild, buttery cheese that has a slightly nutty flavor. It is creamy, rich, and melts well. It makes a killer grilled cheese sandwich! Brie is also a softer cheese, and it's also wonderful paired with wine and fruit.

I was very happy to find so many must-have products at ALDI. If you need Holiday food and drink ideas, they even offer a list of shopping suggestions to help guide you.

If you haven't checked ALDI out before, you're in for a real treat. And you'll save oodles and oodles of money, as this growing chain is committed to providing high quality products for very frugal prices. You won't see a lot of name brands at ALDI, but their store brand is absolutely wonderful, and you would never know the difference. Shopping at ALDI is a bit different than at your regular grocery store, so here are some tips you'll want to keep in mind before you head to the store.

ALDI Shopping Tips :

• You Won't Find Big Name Brands.  Most of the items are store brand. But like I said, they are comparable to, if not better than, the brands you're used to buying. You'll even find a unique variety of items most grocers lack.
  
• No coupons accepted. So leave your binder at home. I think you'll find that even with this no-coupon policy, prices are amazing. You'll save just as much as you would using a coupon, and in many cases even more!
  
• No credit cards accepted but *most* debit cards work fine. Unless of course you bank with Navy Federal. For some reason, their debit cards cannot be processed at ALDI. We learned this the hard way last year!
  
• Bring your own grocery bags.  They do offer bags for sale, but if you're like me, you probably have plenty of them at home. I like using reusable shopping bags.
  
• Bring a Quarter. You will need to deposit a quarter to get a cart. That's right. If you want a cart, you will have to insert a quarter. Then when you return it, your quarter will be returned.
  

Overall, we LOVE ALDI, and are more than happy to go out of our way to shop there, especially for Holiday and seasonal items. They always have a wonderful variety of gourmet offerings, and the prices are amazing. (Where else can you buy high-end, imported cheeses for $2.99?!) We love their wines, the Landshut in particular, and their meats and produce are always super-fresh, too. They even have a great freezer section, so you can stock up on appetizers, pizzas, desserts, etc.

How To Connect :

You can check out the awesomeness that is ALDI on their website. Be sure to check their handy retail locator to find a store near you!

Have you shopped at ALDI before? I'd love to hear your experiences!


***Disclosure: “I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for ALDI. I received a gift certificate to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.”***